The usual method for sharpening skate blades involves the use of a motor driven grinding machine. Such machines generally work by subjecting the edge of the ice skate blade to a large rotating grinding wheel at a fixed and constant angle. These grinding machines are large, heavy and not portable. Consequently, such machines are generally not owned and operated by individual skaters, rather they are found in such places as sports equipment stores and ice arenas.
There have been attempts to create manual handheld skate sharpening devices that are compact enough to fit into a bag or a pocket. They are usually operated by pushing the device along the length of the skate blade which subjects the bottom edge of the skate blade to a grinding element. Because of the stationary, or relatively slowly rotating grinding surface, such devices have limited performance capabilities and do not sharpen as well as their powered counterparts. Such devices are often unwieldy to use and impractical for users who lack the strength to move the device along the blade with sufficient force.
Attempts have also been made to design portable or handheld powered skate sharpening devices. Many are adaptable to be affixed to powered tools such as drills. These devices all utilize the power source to rotate a hard grinding element against the skate blade. To facilitate attachment to the power tool, many use an elongated arm that is connected to a drive arbor that rotates the grinding stone. The use of such an elongated arrangement reduces stability and can result in the grinding stone vibrating or bouncing as it moves against the blade edge. This results in reduced sharpening efficiency and can cause the stone to dig into the blade or ‘bite’ which results in burrs and nicks in the blade.
Further, many of these powered portable sharpening devices apply the grinding stone transversely to the skate blade. This means that scratches and aberrations caused by the stone during the sharpening are perpendicular to the skate blade. This reduces the gliding efficiency of the skate blade.
Another problem with many of the powered portable sharpening devices is that of inadequate stability and insufficient guidance during the application of the grinding stone to the skate edge. When the skate edge is applied to the grinding surface there is significant vibration or chatter, and accordingly there will be a tendency for the skate blade and the sharpener to move. Any such movement will reduce the trueness of the sharpened edge. Ideally, the blade must be subjected to the grinding surface at a constant angle and a constant pressure. Many of the powered portable sharpening devices require the device to be mounted on a fixed horizontal surface such as a table to facilitate steady guidance of the blade onto the grinding surface. Such devices are generally impractical to use in the locker room setting and unduly limit the users ability to place the device in their bag and use it prior to skating. Further, if a fixed horizontal surface is unavailable, the user will be unable to maintain stability and guidance during the sharpening process.
A further problem with the existing powered portable sharpening devices is wear of the grinding elements. As the grinding profile on the element wears it will reduce the ability of the device to deliver a consistent grind profile. Regular replacement of the grinding element is inconvenient and expensive.
There is a need in the art for a powered portable skate-sharpening device that mitigates the disadvantages of the prior art.